East Timor has made Indonesia its foreign policy priority, and plans to
open an embassy in Jakarta as early as next month, the Cabinet member for
foreign affairs, Mr Jose Ramos Horta, said.

He said planning had begun for a mission that would be staffed by at
least 15 East Timorese diplomats, a recognition that Indonesia would be
East Timor's most important embassy.

In comparison, Australia and Portugal, East Timor's next most important
missions abroad, would probably have no more than two diplomats each.

"Relations are good with Australia so we won't need a large staff
in Canberra - perhaps one or two," Mr Ramos Horta said.

"But with Indonesia we have a lot of issues: the border, customs,
security and trade."

A budget had been allocated for the purchase of property in Jakarta,
and he hoped that an embassy could be established by next month or April.

Indonesia already has a diplomatic mission in Dili accredited to the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor.

Mr Ramos Horta praised the role of Australian and New Zealand
peacekeepers based along the 176-kilometre border with Indonesian West
Timor, and said he hoped they could stay there for at least three to five
years.

China had offered to build a new Foreign Ministry complex in Dili at a
cost of $A7.5 million, he said.

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